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Top - Level Israel Consultation on Golan
Nov 15th, 2012
Daily Newsdebkafile
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

The brittle situation on Israel’s Golan border with Syria brought Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and members of the IDF high command to the Northern Command Wednesday to weigh Israel’s next steps in consultation with the OC Northern Command Maj. Gen. Yair Golan and district brigade chiefs.

The Broader Implications of the Petraeus Resignation: Personal Behavior and Public Office
Nov 15th, 2012
CommentaryBarry Rubin
Categories: Contemporary Issues

General David Petraeus was the hero of the victorious surge strategy in Iraq. But he also has the distinction of becoming America’s first Politically Correct field commander. His strategy in Afghanistan was in line with that of the Obama Administration by putting the emphasis on winning Muslim hearts and minds as a higher priority than military victories or even at times the safety of American soldiers. There’s a reason why President Barack Obama made him CIA director.
Leaving aside the question of the resignation’s relationship to the Benghazi debacle, in some ways, his fall is more discouraging than the election results. Don’t these powerful people feel that their duty is more important than their personal self-aggrandizement or pleasure? We should remember, too, that Petraeus’s predecessor in Afghanistan was brought down because of some incautious things said in a magazine interview.
Gary Hart, Bill Clinton, Herman Caine, John Edwards, Ted Kennedy, Larry Craig, Richard Nixon, and other politicians supposedly represented certain ideas, policies, and the hopes and dreams of millions of people who have worked hard for them and put their trust in them. Can’t they put aside what they might also desire for the sake of those things?
I have seen with my own two eyes Kennedy drunk on the floor of the Senate and I know a lot from first-hand observation about the private adventures of former Senator Chris Dodd and Hart. And all of the above hasn’t begun to touch on financial corruption.
Of course, many do behave differently and far better. A few years ago I’d have said that perhaps the media has become too willing and able to expose the foibles of those at the top. Yet after the spectacle of a Teflon Obama and his entourage it would be more correct to say that the media only exposes those it wants to for political purposes. Then, too, Clinton and Kennedy didn’t suffer at all from their amorousness and bad driving.
If I’m not mistaken, there are now Democratic senators from Connecticut and Massachusetts who lied about their military records. The latter one, Senator John Kerry, may soon be secretary of state, which will be a global disaster of major proportions. There is also now a Democratic senator from Massachusetts who clearly lied about being a Cherokee in order to get preferential treatment in getting a job.
I have seen in the National Archives the OSS report during World War Two that a Danish journalist was a Nazi spy. And this is the woman with whom John F. Kennedy had an affair and for that reason was shipped out by his father to the Pacific front, where he would be made a hero through a combination of his bad navigation and subsequent brave behavior in the sinking of PT-109. General Dwight Eisenhower’s and President Franklin Roosevelt’s affairs during World War Two are today well known. But those were times when things remained quiet.
Why, though, are these personal matters anyone else’s business? The debate usually focuses around an argument between what is proper morality and whether Americans are too puritanical. The French, we are told, rejoice when their politicians get naughty.
But there is another far more important issue altogether that is rarely aired. If a politician or major public figure believes in what he’s doing and knows that exposure of his misdeed would destroy that mission, how can they give in to temptation if they really believe in the importance of that mission or of the importance of keeping faith with those who are relying on them?
And if they don’t care at all about those things, how can they be worthy of wielding power? It is not so much a question of personal morality as it is of character, not an issue of private life but of whether one takes seriously the concept of duty. If, for example, Bill Clinton was willing to risk his presidency for having some sort of relations--even if he could define them as not having had sex in some physiological sense--with Monica Lewinsky and then, according to the court finding, committing perjury about his behavior, that is not the sort of person one should want to be president. The fact that he escaped impeachment for the latter offense is not the point. His being willing to take that chance is the issue.
There is also something in the character of those who lust for power and fame—and I write this from long observation growing up in Washington DC—that very much distorts one’s personality. Such people almost inevitably feel superior to others, arrogant that they can get away with anything, coming to take for granted that they deserve privileges but that the rules don’t apply to them. That’s why the founders of America wanted to limit government and the power of those who ran it.
Such wisdom is even older, though it has only rarely done humanity much good. “Put not your trust in princes,” says Psalm 146. Rabbi Hillel said almost two thousand years ago that the obsessively ambitious end up by destroying themselves.
Today, it isn’t so much that Republicans are more upstanding. The difference is that they pay for their sins because the media is so quick to devour them. If, say, a Republican candidate for the Senate in Missouri says something stupid once, he’s finished. If a Democrat does so, even repeatedly racialist statements, he gets to be vice-president for another four years. That’s reality.
Before the revolution it was clearly defined in France which classes whose members could or could not be legally tortured. This distinction now applies to public figures along partisan and ideological lines as well.
Barry Rubin is director of the Global Research in International Affairs

Obama Silent As Egypt Threatens to Back Hamas Against Israel
Nov 15th, 2012
Daily NewsBrietbart
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

Today, Egypt’s Freedom and Justice Party, the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood – a party formerly headed by current President Mohammed Morsi – announced that Egypt would get involved if Israel continued to kill terrorists in the Gaza Strip. Such Israeli action, said the party, would prompt “swift Arab and international action to stop the massacres.”

The party also warned that Israel “must take into account the changes in the Arab region and especially Egypt … [Egypt] will not allow the Palestinians to be subjected to Israeli aggression, as in the past.”

The question now is whether the Obama administration will be able to prevent Egypt from attempting overt or covert intervention on behalf of Hamas in the Gaza Strip. If the United States leads from behind – or worse, if they show daylight with Israel – Israel’s security will be in grave danger. Even as dozens of rockets are fired at Israel, the Obama administration has yet to say anything. The Obama administration, by contrast, couldn’t shut up about a YouTube video even as Americans were slaughtered in Benghazi. And Obama continues to tout the Arab Spring as an awakening for freedom and liberty rather than for Islamism.

No wonder Israel’s neighbors in the north (Syria) and south (Gaza and Egypt) are getting aggressive. They have a friend in the White House.

Nigel Farage - This is My Single Greatest Fear Today Nigel Farage Spoke With King World News About
Nov 15th, 2012
Daily NewsKing World News
Categories: Commentary;Revived Roman Empire

Today Nigel Farage spoke with King World News about his single greatest fear. Farage, MEP (Member European Parliament), also spoke with King World News about the ongoing chaos which is taking place in Europe. But first, here is what Farage had to say about the increasing unrest in the eurozone: “Strikes, strikes, strikes. Lots and lots of strikes and demonstrations. Big strikes today, all across the Mediterranean, but they are now beginning to permeate northwards. In fact, there has been a very major strike in Belgium today.”

“I was actually due to go to the European Parliament today but couldn’t get there. No planes, no trains. Ostensibly the strikes are about protests to government austerity. Strikes are now becoming an almost everyday feature of life in Europe. If people haven’t got hope, through their own directly elected representatives, then all they can do is take to the streets in increasing numbers, and these aren’t peaceful strikes...."

"These aren’t just people walking down the road carrying banners. We’re talking here about tear gas, rubber bullets, violence, lots of injuries. This is very, very nasty stuff, and I see absolutely no prospect of it ending in the short-term.

 It doesn’t matter how many people are starving or homeless. That doesn’t matter. The ‘Great European Project’ must continue. That’s why I have absolutely no hesitation in saying that I don’t just disagree with the architects of this European project, I believe them to be fundamentally bad and dangerous people.

 In Greece, we talked before when it went through 50% youth unemployment. The last figures I saw were (a shocking) 57%. So we are now pushing up towards 60% (youth unemployment). What we are looking at is something, I’m afraid, that is very, very akin to the Weimar Republic and that breakdown which happened in Germany in the early 1930s that led to Hitler.

I’m not saying Hitler is coming back to haunt Europe, but what I am saying is, isn’t it truly astonishing that we have Nazism on the rise in Southern Europe?”

Farage also added: “The feedback I get from across Europe, and I’m talking Poland, the Czech Republic, Greece, Spain, etc., the feedback is astonishing. I did a speech about Spain a few months ago, pointing out just the hopelessness of their position inside the eurozone and why they should leave.

That (speech) was translated into Spanish, and do you know one million people saw that on youtube within two weeks in Spain alone? So there is a huge hunger, there is a huge appetite for people out there. For people who are looking for alternatives, who are looking for boldness, and who are looking for courage. And sadly, they are not getting it from their own political class.”

Farage also spoke about his biggest fear: “I think the biggest worry is that we get some kind of total breakdown of confidence in society. Of trust, in not just the government, but the police force and the army and everything else. I genuinely fear that we are going to see very large scale confrontation in Southern Europe with an awful lot of people getting hurt or killed. That’s my biggest fear.”

Liberal Attack! Obama Petitioned to Strip Citizenship from State Secession Signers
Nov 15th, 2012
Daily NewsRT
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

A White House petition gathering force calls for citizenship to be stripped and exile for anyone who signs a petition in favor of a state’s secession.

“Mr. President, please sign an executive order such that each American citizen who signed a petition from any state to secede from the USA shall have their citizenship stripped and be peacefully deported,” the full petition reads.

The title of the petition is, “WE PETITION THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION TO: Strip the Citizenship from Everyone who Signed a Petition to Secede and Exile Them.”

As of this writing, 2,205 have signed the petition; 22,795 more signatures are needed for the issue to be addressed by the White House.

The Washington Times reports on the numerous petitions to secede on the White House’s website:

It’s traditional for Americans to threaten to move to France or Canada when their candidate loses, but this year some disappointed voters are implementing a different plan.

In the wake of the Nov. 6 election, petitions seeking to secede from the union have been filed on behalf of 23 states on the White House website, https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petitions. Most of the petitions contain the same wording and ask to withdraw “peacefully” from the United States in order to form independent governments. source – Weekly Standard.

Levin: Bill to Annex Judea and Samaria is Ready
Nov 15th, 2012
Daily NewsINN - Elad Benari
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

MK Levin: If the PA goes ahead with its statehood bid, I will submit a bill to annex Judea and Samaria immediately after the election.

MK Yariv Levin (Likud), chairman of the Knesset’s House Committee, told Arutz Sheva on Wednesday that he has a bill that calls to apply Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria that is ready to be submitted for Knesset approval.

Levin said that if the Palestinian Authority goes ahead with its statehood bid at the United Nations, he will submit his bill for approval immediately after January’s election.

"Regardless of the Palestinian move we should have applied sovereignty long ago," said Levin, "but the unilateral move by the Palestinians is a good time to do so.”

He said Israel should announce right away about all the measures it intends to take the day after PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas submits his bid to the General Assembly.

“Our response should not come retroactively. It should come right now,” said Levin. “We should prepare a draft decision that adopts Justice Edmund Levy’s report in full, and complete the submission of the bills which call for Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria. The bills are ready and can be submitted immediately after the election.”

The Foreign Ministry has told its ambassadors to explain that the PA’s plan to ask for UN recognition is a violation of the Oslo Accords and may cause Israel to officially announce that it is “canceling them partially or completely.”

The agreement commits the PA to negotiate with Israel for the establishment of an independent PA entity.

Levin said he believes that the decision to cancel the Oslo Accords will eventually force Israel to re-enter Area A.

"Israel cannot continue to sit back. We need to make clear to the world that we believe in the rightness of our ways,” he said. “We need to stop the transfer of money to the PA and we need to renew the IDF's operations in Area A.”

“The reality that has been created now is dramatic,” stressed Levin. “The other side made ​​a unilateral move and our response should be adjusted accordingly. If we do not respond it may lead us to a slippery slope."

Environment Minister Gilad Erdan of the Likud also said, earlier on Wednesday, that Israel should annex Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria as a response to Abbas’ appeal to the United Nations.

Canceling the Oslo Accords, as the government has suggested, is not enough, he said. “Finally, Jews in Judea and Samaria can live like normal citizens,” declared Erdan.

Like Levin, Erdan said he believed that Israel should stop transferring to the Palestinian Authority monthly tax revenues it collects on its behalf.

Abbas announced on Monday that the PA will present its bid for non-state UN membership, despite U.S. and Israeli opposition.

He said that the request will be presented on November 29, the anniversary of the day in 1947 in which the United Nations voted in favor of the partition plan. The resolution recommended the creation of two states, one Arab, one Jewish and granted a small portion of the area, under the British Mandate, to the new Jewish state.

The announcement was made a day after Abbas responded to U.S. President Barack Obama with a direct “no” when told the U.S. administration is opposed to the PA’s unilateral move at the United Nations.

Let the Headlines Speak
Nov 15th, 2012
Daily NewsFrom the Internet
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

East Kentucky Earthquake Impact
The noontime earthquake, centered not far from Whitesburg Kentucky, jangled some nerves and did some damage. Letcher County Emergency Management Director Paul Miles says it cracked the foundations in some homes, a church, and the county courthouse. “People that felt this, everybody I’ve talked to who felt this, nobody had actually been through an earthquake before and I haven’t either because I wasn’t here when it happened, but from the report, you know, just paraphrasing some of the people I talk to, it was one of the most scariest things they’ve ever experienced,” said Miles.

The Demise of Twinkies? Yes, It’s True. Parasitic Unions Kill Their Hosts (or, in this case, Hostess)
On Monday, Hostess permanently closed three of its plants, thanks to the union’s strike: In an unconscionable game of chicken, the bakers’ union is welcoming liquidation, according to Indianapolis union boss Dennis Howard, betting that another company will come along and buy the union facilities. The Teamsters, the other union at Hostess, has alerted its members that they may soon be unemployed.

"Belgium Will Become an Islamic State"
Two Muslim politicians, who just won municipal elections in Belgium's capital, Brussels, on October 14, have vowed to implement Islamic Sharia law in Belgium. The two candidates, Lhoucine Aït Jeddig and Redouane Ahrouch, both from the fledgling Islam Party, won seats in two heavily Islamized municipalities of Brussels, Molenbeek-Saint-Jean and Anderlecht, respectively.

Genetically Modified Humans? New Gene-Altering Drug Paves Way for Mass Modification
As the months and years pass, scientists seem to be getting closer to ‘manufacturing’ humankind, with some of the most recent ‘advancements’ revolving around a new approved drug therapy that is designed to ‘correct genetic errors’. Glybera, the drug which was approved in Europe on November 1, was created to combat against a rare disorder leading to disrupted fat production

New Euro Currency Shows Woman Riding The Beast
In Greek mythology, the Phoenician princess Europa was abducted and raped by the king of the gods, Zeus. But her image will from next year replace pictures of windows and doors on euro banknotes as a security and decorative feature.

A new leader for Europe?
Speaking in Germany, Blair said that a Europe-wide vote on the position, currently held by Herman Van Rompuy and decided on by EU heads of state as part of their usual institutional wrangling, would help bring the EU closer to its citizens. There have already been similar calls in EU circles for a directly elected president of the European Commission. It is possible that Blair covets this position for himself; he was mooted in 2009 – although according to the man himself, he didn’t actively seek the position – when Van Rompuy was given his first two-and-a-half year mandate.

Mexico rattled by 6.0-magnitude earthquake
The U.S. Geological Survey said the 6.0 quake occurred around 3:20 a.m. local time (0920 GMT). The quake was centered about 105 miles (169 kilometers) south of the capital, at the border of the State of Mexico and the Pacific coast state of Guerrero. Mexico’s National Seismological Service estimated the magnitude at 6.4.

Magnitude 6.1 quake hits central-north Chile, no damage
The USGS said the quake struck on the coast, 54 miles (88 km) north of Coquimbo, at 4:02 p.m. (1902 GMT). It was initially reported as a magnitude 6.0 quake. Chile's state emergency office, Onemi, said there were no reports of injuries, disruptions to basic services or infrastructure damage as a result of the tremor.

Anxiety over 'fiscal cliff,' ObamaCare has businesses holding back
But the looming fiscal cliff, financial uncertainty in the Eurozone and the ongoing implementation of ObamaCare have businesses fearful of expansion. On Monday, Hostess Brands announced it is closing three bakeries and laying off 627 employees. The company joins Boeing Company, Groupon Inc, Applebee's international, Papa John's and Murray Energy, which have all announced layoffs or other job cuts since the election.

Euro zone seen sinking into recession as Germany struggles
The euro zone likely slipped into its second recession since 2009 in the July-September period, as the three-year debt crisis slowed economic growth in Germany to a crawl. Economists expect EU statistics office Eurostat to say on Thursday that the bloc's output shrank 0.2 percent in the third quarter, as it did in the second quarter.

Greek anti-austerity protesters hurl coffee at German diplomat as riots sweep across Europe
•The protesters chanted 'Nazis out' and 'This will not pass' as they tried to obstruct municipal officials from attending a conference in the city of Thessaloniki

Terrorist Attack on Power Grid Could Cause Broad Hardship, Report Says
By blowing up substations or transmission lines with explosives or by firing projectiles at them from a distance, the report said, terrorists could cause cascading failures and damage parts that would take months to repair or replace. In the meantime, it warned, people could die from the cold or the excessive heat, and the economy could suffer hundreds of billions of dollars in damage.

Wider offensive and possible ground operation on the table, as cabinet okays reserves call-up
Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday night announced the onset of a broad aerial and naval bombardment of Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip, and said the country’s military was ready to widen its operations until its objectives were reached.

Israel has 'opened the gates of hell': Hamas warning as leader is killed in strike
As Israel and Gaza teeter on the brink of war, with Hamas warning that an air strike that killed Ahmad Jabari, the head of its military wing, has "opened the gates of hell", the Telegraph's Phoebe Greenwood reports the horrors in Gaza City.

Russia expands treason law, critics fear crackdown
Adding to fears that the Kremlin aims to stifle dissent, Russians now live under a new law expanding the definition of treason so broadly that critics say it could be used to call anyone who bucks the government a traitor. The law took effect Wednesday, just two days after President Vladimir Putin told his human rights advisory council that he was ready to review it.

Obama Still Silent as Egypt Backs Hamas
Today, Egypt’s Freedom and Justice Party, the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood – a party formerly headed by current President Mohammed Morsi – announced that Egypt would get involved if Israel continued to kill terrorists in the Gaza Strip. Such Israeli action, said the party, would prompt “swift Arab and international action to stop the massacres.” The party also warned that Israel “must take into account the changes in the Arab region and especially Egypt … [Egypt] will not allow the Palestinians to be subjected to Israeli aggression, as in the past.”

Hamas military chief killed in Gaza air strike
Hamas has said that Israeli air strike in Gaza which killed Ahmed Jabari, the head of its military wing, "has opened the gates of hell". Jabari, who is the most senior Hamas official to be killed since an Israeli invasion of Gaza four years ago, was killed in an air strike on a vehicle, in a dramatic resumption of Israel's policy of assassinating Palestinian militant leaders.

Violent clashes as austerity protests grip EU cities
Millions of EU workers have held a day of action against austerity, with protests in Spain and Portugal marred by violence. General strikes in the two southern countries halted transport and closed businesses and schools, while 21 other states also saw disruption. Hundreds of flights to and from striking nations were cancelled.

Eurozone falls back into recession
The eurozone has returned to recession as the region's debt crisis continues to hurt demand, figures show. The economy of the 17-nation bloc contracted by 0.1% between July and September, after shrinking 0.2% in the previous three months, Eurostat said. The eurozone was last in recession in 2009, when the economy contracted for five consecutive quarters.

Ebola outbreak in Uganda kills two
A fresh outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus in Uganda has killed at least two people, the health minister has said. Christine Ondoa said two members of the same family died over the weekend not far from the capital - and a third person was also suspected to have died in that area of the haemorrhagic fever. An estimated 17 people died in western Uganda during an outbreak in July.

Fed hints at new bond-buying scheme
The US Federal Reserve may launch a new bond-buying stimulus programme at the start of next year, released minutes have revealed. The minutes showed that "a number" of the Fed's senior officials want to see a current bond-buying scheme, dubbed Operation Twist, replaced. Under Twist, which expires in December, the central bank has been selling short-term Treasury bonds and using the proceeds to buy longer-term bonds.

Israel and Hamas compete for EU sympathy
Both sides in the new Gaza conflict are competing for international sympathy as fighting escalates. Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev told EUobserver on Thursday (15 November) morning that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with EU foreign relations chief Catherine Ashton by phone on Wednesday.

Gaza rocket hits building, kills three in Kiryat Malachi
Gaza terrorists continued to fire rockets into southern Israel on Thursday morning killing three people and injuring two others in Kiryat Malachi. More than 200 rockets have been fired from Gaza into the South in the 24 hours after the IDF launched a campaign Wednesday to root out the terror infrastructure in the coastal territory, beginning with the targeted killing of Ahmed Jabari, the chief of Hamas's military wing.

Israeli Ambassador Exits Cairo With Family
Nov 15th, 2012
Daily Newsdebkafile
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi’s office announced Wednesday night the recall of his ambassador from Tel Aviv just weeks after he presented his credentials and demanded an urgent UN Security Council meeting to discuss “Israeli aggression.”
President Morsi did not deliver a statement on the Israeli operation in the Gaza Strip although it was scheduled.

Israel's Unprecedented Efforts to Avoid Civilian Casualties
Nov 15th, 2012
Daily NewsIsrael Today - Ryan Jones
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

Israel's unprecedented efforts to avoid civilian casualties

As Israeli forces intensify their campaign to put an end to the terrorist rocket threat emanating from Gaza, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are taking unprecedented steps to avoid civilian casualties, often at the cost of successfully completing their missions.

The IDF listed the various methods it uses to avoid civilian casualties on its official blog. In particular, the IDF has made thousands of phone calls to Palestinian homes located near terrorist targets warning residents beforehand of an impending strike. The IDF has also dropped thousands of leaflets over Gaza that read:

"For your own safety, take responsibility for yourselves and avoid being present in the vicinity of Hamas operatives and facilities and those of other terror organizations that pose a risk to your safety. Hamas is once again dragging the region to violence and bloodshed."

Sadly, Hamas and its allied terror groups have a cynical disregard for all life, even the lives of Palestinians, and seems to actively seek civilian casualties for use in the public relations battle to delegitimize Israel.

The following image posted by the IDF shows a Hamas missile launch site situated in the middle of a civilian neighborhood a very short distance from a local mosque and adjacent kindergarten. (photo not availabe)

Gaza Rocket Fire Persists; Gov't Okays Idf Reserves Call - Up
Nov 15th, 2012
Daily NewsYnetNews
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

More than 80 rockets fired from Hamas-ruled territory following targeted killing of top commander Jabari; Grads hit Beersheba, Ashdod; Ashkelon also targeted; Iron Dome intercepts 27 rockets. Cabinet authorizes army to issue emergency orders to reserve units, while PM, Barak, Lieberman to decide on continuation of Operation Pillar of Defense. US 'support Israel's right to defend itself'

More than 80 rockets have been fired toward south Israel since 4 pm Wednesday, when Israeli aircraft killed Hamas military chief Ahmed Jabari, who planned the abduction of Gilad Shalit and orchestrated dozens of terror attacks against Israel.

The targeted killing marked the beginning of Operation Pillar of Defense, which is aimed at quelling the incessant rocket fire emanating from the Hamas-ruled coastal enclave.

Two Israelis sustained mild injuries from glass shards and 14 others suffered from anxiety. Grad rockets fired from Gaza landed in Beersheba and Ashdod, while the Iron Dome air defense system intercepted at least 24 rockets.

Sirens alerting residents of incoming rockets were heard in Ashkelon, Sderot, the Ashkelon Beach Regional Council and – for the first time, in Gan Yavne and Gedera.

Hamas continued to fire rockets late Wednesday night, but Israeli forces destroyed most of the terror group's long-range Fajr missiles. At around 11 pm the Iron Dome intercepted five rockets that were fired toward Sderot. The air defense system also intercepted a rocket that was launched toward the Ashkelon Beach Regional Council, while another rocket landed in an open area in the city of Ashkelon. Iron Dome also intercepted a rocket between Ashdod and Gan Yavne.

In Gaza, at least 10 people were killed, including Jabari, in Israeli strikes. Medical officials in the Strip said another 45 people were injured, 10 of them critically. According to the Palestinians, among the dead are three children, including an 11-month-old infant and a six-year-old boy.

The IDF said that over the past few hours it has attacked dozens of underground launching pads designated for Hamas' medium-range rockets (with a range of up to 40 kilometers) and caused severe damage to the terror organizations' weapons warehouses. In addition, Israeli Navy ships opened fire at a number of terror targets along Gaza's coastline.

A large number of Hamas' arms caches were located in apartment complexes, indicating that the Islamist group is using civilians as human shields in the current round of violence as well.

During a special cabinet meeting held Wednesday night it was decided that the IDF and Shin Bet internal security service would continue to operate against terror infrastructure in Gaza. Moreover, the cabinet authorized the IDF to call up reserve units, according to need. Earlier, emergency call up orders were issued to reservist units belonging to the Home Front Command. The cabinet also authorized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman to decide on the continuation of Operation Pillar of Defense in Gaza.

In a statement, the cabinet said Israel would continue to operate while trying to avoid civilian casualties and respecting the Gazans' humanitarian needs. IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz called a special assessment meeting with the General Staff at the Kirya military compound in Tel Aviv to decide on the army's policy during the operation in Gaza.

Meanwhile, the US has thrown its support behind Israel and condemned the rocket attacks on southern Israel.

"We support Israel's right to defend itself, and we encourage Israel to continue to take every effort to avoid civilian casualties," US State Department spokesman Mark Toner said in a statement on Wednesday.

"We strongly condemn the barrage of rocket fire from Gaza into southern Israel, and we regret the death and injury of innocent Israeli and Palestinian civilians caused by the ensuing violence," he added.

Civil Unrest! 18 States Petition the Obama White House to Withdraw from Union
Nov 15th, 2012
Daily Newspolicymic
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

To date, citizens of 18 states have petitioned the White House for consideration of a peaceful withdrawal from the United States. That’s right, thousands of Americans have already signed petitions at whitehouse.gov asking President Obama to allow them to peacefully secede from the union.

The states and their updated totals are: Louisiana, 10,296; Texas, 9196; Florida, 2392; Alabama, 2492; North Carolina, 2434; Kentucky, 1934; Mississippi, 1935; Indiana, 1951; North Dakota, 881; Montana, 1538; Colorado, 1805Oregon, 1594; New Jersey, 1492; New York, 1727; South Carolina, 117; Arkansas, 86; Georgia, 131; Missouri, 149.

The ability to create the petitions is something that the Obama administration promised and delivered on because:

“We want to hear from you. If a petition gets enough support, White House staff will review it, ensure it’s sent to the appropriate policy experts, and issue an official response.”

Any petition requires 25,000 signatures for consideration. As you can see, in just a few days, Louisiana is halfway to the necessary total. In order to sign the petition, users simply need to create a whitehouse.gov account and click “sign the petition.”

Before anyone begins to cry treason or some other fear tactic, this is nothing more than an activist tactic (albeit a very dramatic one) attempting to garner government attention for the state of the electorate and our nation.

As whitehouse.gov clearly reminds us:

“The right to petition your government is guaranteed by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. We the People provides a new way to petition the Obama Administration to take action on a range of important issues facing our country.”

No one is threatening to secede or to wage war against the United States of America. It is a petition, plain and simple. But as they say, desperate times call for desperate measures, and clearly some Americans are feeling the need to make a dramatic noise.

While Louisiana currently leads the signature count, Texas is a very close second. The Texas petition reads:

“The US continues to suffer economic difficulties stemming from the federal government’s neglect to reform domestic and foreign spending. The citizens of the US suffer from blatant abuses of their rights such as the NDAA, the TSA, etc. Given that the state of Texas maintains a balanced budget and is the 15th largest economy in the world, it is practically feasible for Texas to withdraw from the union, and to do so would protect it’s citizens’ standard of living and re-secure their rights and liberties in accordance with the original ideas and beliefs of our founding fathers which are no longer being reflected by the federal government.”

I have to admit that this move fascinates me, and leaves me wondering what may be next. Certainly there have been whispers and open talk among political pundits via the news media that a civil war is imminent. Retired Army Reserve Colonel Lawrence Sellin writes, ”America is on the verge of fragmentation and civil conflict because its citizens have lost control of their government and lost faith in its political institutions.”

There is no doubt that America is at a crossroads. Just how we navigate this intersection could well define the path of the world forever. source – PolicyMic

Canada Throws Unwavering Support Behind Israel in Gaza War
Nov 15th, 2012
Daily NewsIsrael Today - Ryan Jones
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

Canada throws unwavering support behind Israel in Gaza war

The government of Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper once again demonstrated its unwavering support of Israel on Thursday when it unequivocally backed the Jewish state's military response to incessant terrorist rocket fire.

"We fundamentally believe that Israel has the right to defend itself and its citizens from terrorist threats," stated Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird. "Far too often, the Jewish people find themselves on the front lines in the struggle against terrorism, the great struggle of our generation."

Referencing the hundreds of terrorist rockets that sparked Israel's "Operation Pillar of Cloud" - a provocation much of the world has suddenly forgotten about - Baird said that Canada "condemns the terrorist group Hamas and stands with Israel as it deals with regional threats to peace and security."

The Obama Administration also issued a statement of support immediately following the start of Israel's surprise aerial campaign on Wednesday evening.

"We strongly condemn the barrage of rocket fire from Gaza into southern Israel," said US State Department spokesman Mark Toner. "We support Israel’s right to defend itself."

However, Toner also threw in what some might see as a veiled warning: "We encourage Israel to continue to take every effort to avoid civilian casualties."

It has been reported time and again that Israel takes more care to avoid civilian casualties than any nation on earth, including the United States. Some Israelis view remarks like Toner's as an assertion of moral superiority, and a suggestion that Israel needs to be reminded to act in a civil manner.

Of course, many also take it as a friendly warning that the rest of the international community is likely to use every Palestinian civilian casualty as a weapon to attack not only Israel's military actions, but its legitimacy as a nation.

Meanwhile, Russia and the Arab world predictably condemned Israel's military response in Gaza while almost completely ignoring the Hamas rocket barrage that preceded it, and Europe registered its displeasure over the "disproportionate" nature of the Israeli action.

Egypt recalled its ambassador to Israel in protest, and Israel returned the favor.

A 'Pillar of Cloud' to Guide the Way
Nov 15th, 2012
Daily NewsIsrael Today - Staff
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

A 'Pillar of Cloud' to guide the way

Israel's military spokespeople have labeled the current military operation in Gaza as "Operation Pillar of Defense" in English and other foreign languages. But in Hebrew, the operation is actually codenamed "Pillar of Cloud."

The reason for the discrepancy may be that the IDF doesn't think most foreigners will catch the biblical reference. But, of course, that is not true of Israel Today readers.

As nearly all are aware, Pillar of Cloud is a reference to the divine pillar of cloud that guided the Children of Israel during their exodus from Egypt, as described in the Book of Exodus.

It is the hope and prayer of many Israelis, and many of those supporting Israel from abroad, that our government and army will have similar guidance in waging an effective war against the enemy in Gaza, while avoiding as much as possible the inflicting of pain and suffering on the civilians of Gaza.

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